Half-time

Ciao ciao everyone!

So I have arrived at half-time of me visiting Fabio and his beautiful country. I'm not sure how the rest of Europe is but I don't think it's the same as here. The reason I think this is that Italy is filled with history everywhere you go. It's not all just in one place, I am constantly surrounded by a 2000 year old building or by some new finding that architects are digging up. Its really awesome but at the same time strange to me because in America you usually find something 100 years old, not 2o00!

So I'm going to talk about some interesting facts that are not necessarily positive, and I'm not trying to be condescending on Italy, but it's important to know. Because Italy is practically the size of Arizona they have much less and have to learn how to abide with what they have....and they really do! They use what they have and they don't waste. The streets are extreemely small because of space...its not that they don't have the money to expand, but they don't have the room! So, they build the country up. On the interstate it's almost the same, there are mostly only 2 lane highways, and 3 lane highways in the north. This is also because there is no room to expand..so it can become aggrevating during traffic. The roads here are very rugged not because the Mafia is present now-a-days....but because we are seeing the effects of the Mafia 20 years ago. Basically they stole so much money that it affected the roads being repaired and built properly. The economy of Italy is also really struggling. The government is trying to pay off their debts by higher taxes...(and extremely high taxes). Try passing that in America..people would flourish to Canada. Because of this problem people are going on strike. When me and Fabio went to Rome we were there for three days. The last day we were there we found out that we couldn't plan to see anything because everything was shut down...including the metro, due to everyone going on strike against the government! So..we went shopping and visited the Vatican Museum (not bad, not bad :) ) One more note about the economy of Italy and then I'm moving on to happier things. The country is suffering to the point that they have to cut a lot of the military personel's salary. Italy also does not have the money to make their guys practice...this is a problem for Fabio too. He can't fly until September, and after that he is "guaranteed" at the least 16 hours of flying time in 4 months. (for everyone who is not pilot-savy that is not very much..its the minimum for a pilot to remember how to fly!) Obviously America is to blame for a portion of this, because we are at war. When America goes to war, other countries are forced to go as well.

Now, moving on. To answer Virginia's question in the last blog, the supermarkets look the same lol. Italy does have more open markets, but they only have fruit and veggies...and sometimes fish. But they are kind of in covered areas to be protected from the rain. And a lot of the time you can only use cash. Actually, most places only accept cash...like stores, cafes, and other basic places like the car wash.

So..I have been fully immersed here with Fabio as my only confidant. I can't even watch TV in English lol...except for MTV, but it plays the same songs over and over again for one month now. So I finally was able to buy a book to read in the English language so I can entertain myself when he is at work...YAY!! I never thought I would be so excited to read..who would have thought! My mom made me read as punishment when I was a kid, so that gives you an idea.
Me and Fabio just got back from a wedding in the north which was just gorgeous in the mountains. We also stopped by Naples to see his Aunt who made me try the best Pizza on the planet...and the best mozzarela!! We also saw Mt. Vesuvius (the volcano that has risen from the previous valcano that destroyed Pompeii)...very thrilling for me because I've never seen a volcano.

Well that about wraps things up for now. There is just too much to write. I'll be here for another 6 weeks. In two weeks Fabio gets vacation leave from the military for one month. Since Italy considers August as summer vacation, I'm hoping he will take his vacation in August so he can come back to the States with me so I have him for one more month! I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

~ Jessica